1. I am sick and tired of the campaign commercials and phone calls that are going on leading up to the South Carolina Republican primary. It’s constant and it’s exhausting. Political opinions aside, my home has been invaded by campaign commercials and phone calls. And it’s going to be worse in the fall!

2. I’m extremely intimidated by a well-written blog. Or maybe I’m intimidated by bloggers who are great writers. Same thing? Thankfully, I can read these blogs and learn from them. They teach me how to find lessons and value in the little things that happen every day that I may have otherwise ignored.

3. I got a few questions about why we’re reading the Bible through this year. For me, it’s not so I can just rattle off scripture, (though having memorized scripture would be pretty great) but so that the Words are just in me and with me at all times. So I know as much as I can know. So that my actions, reactions and words will be changed because of the Word I read daily.

4. The mommy wars are exhausting. I’m so tired of it. And it makes me feel bad about myself because I criticized someone or because someone criticized me. Isn’t there anything else to talk about? Working vs. staying at home. Sleep training vs. not sleep training. Formula vs. breast feeding. Why are these things even discussions? When someone blogs, tweets, posts on Facebook or calls you to talk about her experience, she’s sharing her experience. (I’m not talking about myself here, I promise.) I just feel like I see it everywhere and it’s constant. Let’s just be supportive and stop questioning why someone made the choice she made. I should have added this to my resolution list! I think it’s natural to feel like a different choice is automatically a challenge to the choices we make, but I know that’s not true. I don’t choose differently to challenge someone else. I choose differently because it works best for my family. And I think most moms to do the same thing. Being a mom is hard enough without having to battle other moms.

5. Hudson was awake 5 times last night. We still aren’t sure why. But each time, we tucked him back in and kissed him. He’d fall back asleep for an hour (it felt like 15 minutes) and then he was up again, crying. So sad. We were all very tired this morning.

6. I really like watching Revenge. But I think it’s actually really cheesy lately. Am I alone? The music, the facial expressions. It’s definitely a prime time soap opera, in my opinion. But I can’t stop watching!

7. I started reading Divergent yesterday- finally! I love having a Kindle on my iPhone. If I get a quiet moment to read, I can just pick up my phone and read a quick chapter.

8. Speaking of TV, I had no idea Idol started back last night until I saw it on Twitter. And I didn’t watch it. I’m not sure that I’m going to watch this season. I said that last season and I still watched. Also, I have abandoned watching The Bachelor. No, thank you!

9. I really need to start working on photo books for Hayes. Actually, I need to be taking more pictures of Hayes.

10. Speaking of Hayes… he is 8 months old! And I need to do his 8 month post!

This is just a reminder that my Shrimp & Grits Kids trunk show is still going on until this weekend. You have a few more days to contact Margaret and place your order if you’re interested!

To see the online catalog, click here!

If you have any questions, or would like to place an order, email Margaret at mkpedler@gmail.com

Can you believe it? It’s already time to place orders for spring and summer clothes!

One of my favorite ways to shop for my boys is through home trunk shows. One of my favorite lines is Shrimp & Grits Kids. These clothes are extremely well made, they’re classic, and they’re down right cute!

Lucky for me, my friend Margaret is now a rep for Shrimp & Grits Kids and she asked me to host an online “show” for her so I could show all of you the adorable clothes for spring and summer.

To see the online catalog, click here!

If you have any questions, or would like to place an order, email Margaret at mkpedler@gmail.com

Take some time to look through the online catalog to see sets for brothers and sisters, sisters, brothers, play clothes and church clothes. I cannot get over how cute everything is this season!

I love that there are casual versions of each pattern in addition to dressier styles. It’s going to be so hard for me to choose, but I’m on the hunt for some coordinating outfits for my boys!

To see the online catalog, click here!

If you have any questions, or would like to place an order, email Margaret at mkpedler@gmail.com

I know, I know. It’s almost February and I’m just posting my goals for the new year. But I’m still having trouble to remember to write “2012” instead of “2011” on all of our checks and I’m finally just now feeling settled in the new year.

I already did a post about how I want the theme/word of the year to be “quiet.” You can read that here.

When I created my list of goals, I thought of things that I want to do, things I need to do and things that I can do to help my family and me.

1. Read through the Bible. TC and I are doing this together and so far we’re both on track. I’m really enjoying it. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and have just been intimidated. Since TC is doing it with me, I have accountability and we can discuss it. And we do discuss it most nights.

2. Stick to a spending limit of buying one clothing item (or fewer) for myself per month. And pretty much stop buying crap. No more purchases unless it’s a necessity. This will obviously help me stop bringing useless, wasteful things into our home and it will help us save money.

3. Log my calories daily using My Fitness Pal. And gosh darn it. Lose 25 pounds in 2012. For real.

4. Wake up at 6:00 a.m. on weekdays to complete my Bible reading assignment for the day and my Jesus Calling devotional. Use whatever time is left before the boys wake up at 7:30 a.m. to blog and respond to emails.

5. Read at least 25 books in 2012. I read 20 books in 2011 and really slowed down when Hayes was born. I am much more relaxed when I’m reading. Watch minimal TV and unplug more.

6. Meal plan weekly. Stay current with chores daily and maintain an organized home. We spend so much less money on food when I stick to a good meal plan. And the laundry mound is much more manageable when I do a little bit every day.

7. Don’t eat fast food! Well… except for Chick-fi-A on Wednesdays after school. Hudson’s weekly “treat” is to eat Chick-fil-A after school on Wednesdays and we love the Christian Chicken. So that’s when we’ll break the “no fast food” goal.

8. Don’t drink Diet Coke. I didn’t quit cold turkey, but I’ve only had about five total Diet Cokes since the start of 2012. Not too bad. I know eventually I’ll stop wanting it. Maybe? Hopefully.

What are your goals for the new year?

*I previously wrote Now That I’m a Mommy… This is similar to that.

It’s so easy to lose yourself to motherhood. In fact, it’s almost impossible not to lose yourself. The love for your children is so consuming that everything you do and every choice you make leads back to your kids and their needs. It’s pretty incredible!

But just because I’m a mommy…

…it doesn’t mean that I don’t long for just one day to sleep until 11:00 a.m. in my bed.

…it doesn’t mean that I should allow myself to become a tired-looking frump. Makeup never hurt anybody.

…it doesn’t mean that my sense of humor needs to fly out the window. Kids are supposed to make us laugh more!

…it doesn’t mean that I don’t have dreams of my own or things I’d like to accomplish. And yes, maybe I can even do some of those things while being a stay-at-home mom.

…it doesn’t mean that I don’t love a nice, silent car ride. By myself.

…it doesn’t mean that I have any idea what I’m doing when I find myself in new territory. Or old territory.

…it doesn’t mean that I’m nothing like I used to be. Motherhood has certainly changed me in major ways. But I’m still myself.

…it doesn’t mean that I don’t crave days spent with girl friends or a nice, quiet afternoon in a movie theater.

…it doesn’t mean that I have all the answers or don’t need my own mommy on a daily basis.

…it doesn’t mean that I know how to be strong when my heart breaks and when I’d like to just take a time out and cry.

…it doesn’t mean that I became a domestic goddess overnight. I need a live-in Ina Garten!

…it doesn’t mean that I don’t lose my temper and behave the way my toddler behaves every once in a while.

I am a mommy. And I have a very large responsibility on my hands. There are a lot of really fun, superficial things about being a parent. There are a lot of not-so-fun, challenging things about being a parent.

The rewards trump both of these things, though. It’s not about cute nurseries and adorable matching outfits. And it’s not about tantrums in public that make you want to crawl into a hole and disappear.

It’s about what I’m expected to teach them. The things that will grow them into the people that I’ve asked God to help me with in raising them. And then finding out, in their time, what they’ve learned. It’s about seeing the sweet souls that they are and hearing from them just how much they love you when you tell them how much you love them.